Electric display-sign.



PATENTED MAR. 24,1903. P. M. SHERIDAN & E. BEHRENDT I ELECTRIC DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1902.

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PATENT FRANCIS M. SHERIDAN EUGENE BEHRENDT, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS OF FIFTY-FIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO SGHEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC DISPLAY-SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,321, dated March 24;, 1903s Application filed May 6, 1902. Serial No. 106,147. No mod l-l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS M. SHERIDAN and EUGENE BEHRENDT, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Display-Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electric display-sign which is simple and durable in construction, arranged to display by the useof electric incandescent lamps any desired letter, word, sentence, ornament, or other matter appearing either stationary or movable and to allow of changing the matter to be displayed in a very simple manner and without disarranging the lamps.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross-section of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a face viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a like view of the circuit-closer, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the same.

On a suitably-constructed frame or board A are secured the incandescent electric lamps B of any approved construction and preferably arranged in rows, as indicated in Fig. 2. The electric lamps B are in electric circuits, each having a connecting-wire 0 leading from a lamp to an insulated plate D, supporting on its outer face a countersunk terminal E for the corresponding wire 0 of a lamp. The several lamps are also connected with a returnwire F of the circuit, containing the source of electric supply G, the return-wire being connected with an insulated contact-point H, adapted to be engaged by a switch H, held on the contact-plate I, mounted on pins J, extending from the terminal insulated plate D.

The contact-plate I is provided with apertures in register with the countersunk terminals E of the circuit-wires O, and the said apertures are adapted to be engaged by pins L on the circuit-closer ,K either in the form of a plate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or in the shape of a roller K, journaled in a frame N, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The circuit-closer K hasthe pins L arranged thereon in the form of the matter to be displayed. For instance, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pins are arranged in the form of the letter E, and when the circuit-closer. is in place on the pins J (see Fig. 1) and its contact-pins L extend through the apertures in the contact-plate I to engage the corresponding terminals E then the circuits are closed for the lamps B on the display-board A to illuminate the lamps corresponding to the pins L to form the letter E, as indicated by the non-shaded circles in Fig. 2. It is understood that When those lamps B are lighted on which the circuits have been closed by the pins L the remaining lamps are not lighted, and consequently the lighted lamps display the predetermined matter. Now it will be seen that the pins L on the circuitcloser may be arranged to form any desired mattersuch as words, sentences,ornaments, and the like-and when the circuit-closer is placed in position on the contact-plate I and the switch H is thrown in contact with the point H then the corresponding circuits are closed at the terminals E, and consequently such lamps B are lighted as correspond to the pins L to display the desired matter by the lighted lamps. The lamps may be extinguished for the time being by opening the switch H, then the switch may be closed again, and this may be alternately repeated to interruptedly display the desired matter. By using the circuit-closer in the shape of the roller K the roller is run over the contact-plate I to successively engage rows of pins L with the apertures in the plate I and corresponding terminals E to momentarily light the lamps, so that the matter appears movably displayed on the sign-board A. The roller K is provided on the sides with flanged wheels K adapted to travel on rails attached to the sides of the metallic conducting-plate to properly guide the roller in its travel over the plate.

It is expressly understood that the plate D, circuit-closer plate K, and roller K are made of non-conducting material, While the conducting-plate I and the circuit-closing pins L are of conducting material.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An electric display sign, comprising electric lamps, electric circuits for the same, an insulated plate carrying the spaced terminals of the circuits for the said lamps, a contact-plate having a return-wire for the said circuits and formed With apertures in alinement With the said terminals on the insulated plate, a circuit-closer having pins arranged to form a predetermined design and adapted to pass through sundry of the apertures in the contact-plate, to contact with the latter and to engage corresponding terminals, and a switch for connecting the contact-plate with the return-wire of the circuits, as set forth.

2. An electric display-sign, comprising a display-board carrying electric incandescent lamps, electric circuits for the same including a source of electric supply, an insulated plate spaced from the said display-board and carrying the terminals of the circuits for the said lamps, a contact-plate having spaced apertures in alinement With the said terminals, an insulated contact-point on the contact-plate and with which the return-wire of the circuit is connected, a switch on the contact-plate for engagement with the said insulated contact-point, and a circuit-closer having pins arranged to form a predetermined design and adapted to pass through sundry of the apertures in the contact-plate to contact with the latter and to engage corresponding terminals, as set forth.

3. An electric display-sign, comprising a display-board carrying rows of incandescent electric lamps, electric circuits for the same, an insulated plate spaced from the said display-board and carrying the terminals of the circuits for the said lamps, the said insulated plate being provided with guide-pins, a contact-plate held on the said guide-pins, on one face of the insulated plate, and having spaced apertures in alinement with the said terminals, a circuit-closer in the form of a plate, mounted on the said guide-pins and having spaced pins arranged to form a predetermined design and adapted to pass through apertures in the said contact-plate, to contact with the latter and to engage sundry of the terminals, and a switch on the said contact-plate, for connecting the latter with the return-Wire of the circuits, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS M. SHERIDAN. EUGENE BEHRENDT.

Witnesses:

THEo. G. HOSTER, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

